CAMPAIGNERS striving to stop their local library succumbing to council cutbacks have delivered a petition to decision-makers.

Rhoose residents, objecting to the downgrading of their valued village facility, attended the Vale Council’s full council meeting on Wednesday, December 17, at the Civic Offices in Barry, to deliver a petition containing 1,300 signatures.

Rhoose Vale councillors Phil Clarke and Jeff James presented the document, in which the reduction of opening hours and introduction of volunteer staff, were opposed.

Spokeswoman, Karen Heenan-Davies, said: “People in Rhoose are completely opposed to this proposal and the cavalier way the council has managed the issue. They have effectively threatened local people that either they come forward to run the library or it will be closed. "You run it or we will close it” is not an option.

“They haven't taken any account of the hundreds of new homes that are due to be built in Rhoose in the next few years, turning this from a village into a town. They have not given any clear indication of how a community run library would work in reality - they haven't developed a business plan or given details of how much local people would have to generate through fundraising every single year just to keep the building going. All they have is a vague idea based purely on the basis that community models have worked in other parts of the UK. They have carefully avoided mentioning that many of those libraries have since closed for lack of volunteers.”

She said the community, unhappy with the lack of answers, had called a public meeting on Monday, December 15 - inviting officials from the library service to meet them.

Welsh Assembly members, Vale-based Andrew R T Davies and Rhoose-based Eluned Parrott, and councillors Clarke and James all spoke out in support of the campaign.

She added: “We have steadily stepped up our campaign since the summer with a Facebook group, a website and now a petition with more than 1300 signatures. The fight is not over - there are still a few days before the consultation is over on December 31 so we urge everyone to complete the council's questionnaire and write letters of protest.”

The group can be contacted via Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/saverhooselibrary or its website Save Rhoose Library

Rhoose councillor, Jeff James in jointly presenting the petition at the Vale Council meeting with Cllr Phil Clarke, said: “I call on the administration to reconsider their decision when they consider the final budget proposal."

The Vale Council has said it needs to make £32m savings over the next three years.

To have your say, visit www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/librarystrategy or call 01446 700111 before the end of December.